Three suspects who allegedly killed Syrian bishops captured in Turkey

KONYA - Doğan News Agency

Christian clerics hold candles during a candle-lit vigil at the Balamand Monastery in Koura, near the north Lebanese city of Tripoli, to call for the release of bishops kidnapped in northern Syria, June 22, 2013. REUTERS Photo

Three suspects have been detained and released in the Anatolian province of Konya after being suspected of killing Aleppo’s Greek Orthodox Bishop Boulos Yaziji and Syriac Orthodox Bishop Yohanna Ibrahim, who were kidnapped by armed men in Syria.

However, the nephew of the one of the bishops has previously denied rumors his uncle had been killed after the circulation of an undated video showing two Christians, including a bishop, being brutally killed.

Fadi Hurigil, the head of the Antakya Orthodox Church Foundation, also said they were sure that the bishops in the video were not Yaziji or Ibrahim.

An operation was launched after information was obtained saying the suspects had illegally entered Turkey. A woman, identified as Fatim M., and two men, identified as Mohammed A. and Ahmad R, were reportedly captured by police conducting security check on a highway between Konya and Ankara. The three suspects, reportedly Russian, Syrian and Chechen citizens, were sent back to their countries after official procedures were conducted.

Bishop Boulos Yaziji and Bishop Yohanna Ibrahim were kidnapped on April 22 in Syria by armed men en route from the Turkish border.